Ghosts of the White HouseBy. Alexis Borlase and Madison Maw
The Ghost of Honest Abe- Our Nation’s Most Famous Ghost
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the USA. He is best known for his great leadership during the American Civil War, the war between the northern US and states of the South. He was completely against slavery. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, or murdered in a surprise attack for a political reason, by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s theatre on April 14, 1865 and since then many presidents have reported seeing and feeling Lincoln’s presence in the White House. When he was assassinated, his plans for a reunion of the North and the South. His work was left incomplete. Some say it is still incomplete today. Some say that this is the reason he is still haunting the White House today.
Séances There have been many séances, or meetings where people attempt to make contact with the dead, at the White House, but most of them occurred while Lincoln was living in the White House. He and his wife held several séances in the Green Room. They did this in attempt to contact the spirit of Willie, their son. During this, they contacted many great leader’s spirits. One of those leaders were Daniel Webster. After his death, Mary Todd Lincoln continued to contact spirits, most of which was Abe, through the séances.
Sightings The years following his death had many reports. One of the earliest reliable reports is one from President Theodore Roosevelt, who claims he saw Lincoln’s spirit. The president admitted, “I see him in different rooms and in the halls.” Another, Grace Coolidge, president Calvin Coolidge’s wife, also encountered Lincoln. She saw him outside of the White House. She also saw him in the Yellow Oval Room, which was Lincoln’s library. During World War II, Queen Wilhelmina spent the night in the White House. She says she was sleeping in the Rose Room in the White House and was awakened when she heard tapping on the door. She went to the door and opened it. She saw Abraham Lincoln standing there. The queen passed out and when she woke up later, the ghost was gone. Dwight D. Eisenhower told his press secretary that he frequently sensed Lincoln’s ghost in the White House. He explained that he was walking down a hallway when he saw Abraham Lincoln approaching him. He was not frightened by Lincoln. The were no sightings during the older Bush’s time in the White House, but there were at least 2 sightings while Clinton was in office. The first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton said, “There is something about the house at night that you just feel like you are summoning up the spirits of all the people who have lived there and worked there and walked through the halls there.” On the Rosie O’Donnell Show, Hillary said, “It’s neat. It can be a little creepy. You know, they think there’s a ghost there. It is a big old house, and when the lights are out it is dark and quiet and any movement at all catches your attention.
No one knows for sure if there is really Lincoln’s ghost, but many of our country’s leaders seem to think so.
The Phantom Cat of Washington
No doubt that there are some pretty creepy ghost stories, especially in the White House. But possibly one of the most political ghosts is the black phantom cat of Washington. It has been seen in the basement of the White House, the mall, the Capitol. He has been seen befor
e national disasters. He was seen before the Stock market crash of 1929 and before the assassination of President J.F. Kennedy. However, it was not reported to be seen before September,11, or hurricane Katrina. When asked if they saw him, people choose to stay quiet. It also shows up when a new president is elected. It was said that the reason he is there is because the capitol was once infested with rats so they let out a bunch of cats. Ever since the cat has been seen.
The cat is usually seen only at night, and seen mainly by people who are alone. It appears as if it is a kitten, but as you get closer it becomes larger and scarier. Some even say that it has glowing red eyes.
There has been one guard how claims to have seen it in January in the 1970s. He says that he was walking and saw a cat approach. As it got closer it got larger, to about the size of a tiger. His eyes were red and he was roaring. He leaped at the man and the man just closed his eyes. When nothing happened he opened them and the cat was gone.
This goes to show that this is not an ordinary cat. It is one of the most well-known ghosts in Washington.
The Ghost of Honest Abe- Our Nation’s Most Famous Ghost
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the USA. He is best known for his great leadership during the American Civil War, the war between the northern US and states of the South. He was completely against slavery.
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, or murdered in a surprise attack for a political reason, by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s theatre on April 14, 1865 and since then many presidents have reported seeing and feeling Lincoln’s presence in the White House. When he was assassinated, his plans for a reunion of the North and the South. His work was left incomplete. Some say it is still incomplete today. Some say that this is the reason he is still haunting the White House today.
Séances
There have been many séances, or meetings where people attempt to make contact with the dead, at the White House, but most of them occurred while Lincoln was living in the
White House. He and his wife held several séances in the Green Room. They did this in attempt to contact the spirit of Willie, their son. During this, they contacted many great leader’s spirits. One of those leaders were Daniel Webster. After his death, Mary Todd Lincoln continued to contact spirits, most of which was Abe, through the séances.
Sightings
The years following his death had many reports. One of the earliest reliable reports is one from President Theodore Roosevelt, who claims he saw Lincoln’s spirit. The president admitted, “I see him in different rooms and in the halls.”
Another, Grace Coolidge, president Calvin Coolidge’s wife, also encountered Lincoln. She saw him outside of the White House. She also saw him in the Yellow Oval Room, which was Lincoln’s library.
During World War II, Queen Wilhelmina spent the night in the White House. She says she was sleeping in the Rose Room in the White House and was awakened when she heard tapping on the door. She went to the door and opened it. She saw Abraham Lincoln standing there. The queen passed out and when she woke up later, the ghost was gone.
Dwight D. Eisenhower told his press secretary that he frequently sensed Lincoln’s ghost in the White House. He explained that he was walking down a hallway when he saw Abraham Lincoln approaching him. He was not frightened by Lincoln.
The were no sightings during the older Bush’s time in the White House, but there were at least 2 sightings while Clinton was in office. The first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton said, “There is something about the house at night that you just feel like you are summoning up the spirits of all the people who have lived there and worked there and walked through the halls there.” On the Rosie O’Donnell Show, Hillary said, “It’s neat. It can be a little creepy. You know, they think there’s a ghost there. It is a big old house, and when the lights are out it is dark and quiet and any movement at all catches your attention.
No one knows for sure if there is really Lincoln’s ghost, but many of our country’s leaders seem to think so.
The Phantom Cat of Washington
No doubt that there are some pretty creepy ghost stories, especially in the White House. But possibly one of the most political ghosts is the black phantom cat of Washington. It has been seen in the basement of the White House, the mall, the Capitol. He has been seen befor
e national disasters. He was seen before the Stock market crash of 1929 and before the assassination of President J.F. Kennedy. However, it was not reported to be seen before September,11, or hurricane Katrina. When asked if they saw him, people choose to stay quiet. It also shows up when a new president is elected. It was said that the reason he is there is because the capitol was once infested with rats so they let out a bunch of cats. Ever since the cat has been seen.
The cat is usually seen only at night, and seen mainly by people who are alone. It appears as if it is a kitten, but as you get closer it becomes larger and scarier. Some even say that it has glowing red eyes.
There has been one guard how claims to have seen it in January in the 1970s. He says that he was walking and saw a cat approach. As it got closer it got larger, to about the size of a tiger. His eyes were red and he was roaring. He leaped at the man and the man just closed his eyes. When nothing happened he opened them and the cat was gone.
This goes to show that this is not an ordinary cat. It is one of the most well-known ghosts in Washington.
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Artofmanliness.com, . Abe Lincoln. n/p. Paranormal Knowledge. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <
http://www.paranormalknowledge.com/articles/abraham-lincolns-ghost.html>.
N/a, . Willie Lincoln. n/p. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willie_Lincoln.jpg>.
Lindseth, Shawn. "Awesome or Off-Putting: Washington DC’s Demon Cat." heckler Spray. N.p., 25 July 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://www.hecklerspray.com/awesome-or-off-putting-washington-dcs-demon-cat/201162062.php>.